'Hildebrand and Hilde,' #A#, #B#, #C#, #D#, opens with the heroine in a queen's service, sewing her seam wildly, putting silk for gold and gold for silk. The queen calls her to account. Hilde begs her mistress to listen to her tale of sorrow. She was a king's daughter. Twelve knights had been appointed to be her guard, and one had beguiled her, Hildebrand, son of the king of England. They went off together, and were surprised by her brothers [father, #B#, #C#, #D#]. Hildebrand bade her be of good cheer; but she must not call him by name if she saw him bleed or fall, #A#, #B#, #D#. A heap of knights soon lay at his feet. Hilde forgot herself, and called out, Hildebrand, spare my youngest brother! Hildebrand that instant received a mortal wound, and fell. The younger brother tied her to his horse, and dragged her home. They shut her up at first in a strong tower, built for the purpose, #A#,# B# [Swedish #A#, a dark house], and afterwards sold her into servitude for a church bell. Her mother's heart broke at the bell's first stroke, and Hilde, with the last word of her tale, fell dead in the queen's arms.
The most important deviation of the later versions from the old is exhibited by #S# and #T#, and would probably be observed in #Q#, #R#, as well, were these complete. #S#, #T# are either a mixture of 'Ribold and Guldborg' with 'Hildebrand and Hilde,' or forms transitional between the two. In these Ribold does not live to reach his home, and Guldborg, unable to return to hers, offers herself to a queen, to spin silk and weave gold [braid hair and work gold]. But she cannot sew for grief. The queen smacks her on the cheek for neglecting her needle. Poor Guldborg utters a protest, but gives no explanation, and the next morning is found dead. Singularly enough, the name of the hero in #Q#, #R#, #S#, #T#, is also an intermediate form. Ribold is the name in all the old Danish copies except #C#, and that has Ride-bolt. Danish #I#, #K#, #X#, #Z#, all the Icelandic copies, and Swedish #D#, have either Ribold or some unimportant variation. #Q#, #R#, #S#, have Ride-brand [#T#, Rederbrand]. All copies of Grundtvig 83, except Danish #G#, Swedish #C#, which do not give the hero's name, have Hilde-brand; so also 82 #N#, #O#, #P#, #V#, and Kristensen, I, No 37. The name of the woman is nearly constant both in 82 and 83.